Method and apparatus for coating panels in an upright position

ABSTRACT

A method and brace are provided for stabilizing generally planar objects in an upright position. The brace comprises an elongated cross member and a plurality of projections. The elongated cross member has a first end, an opposed second end, an upper surface and a lower surface. The plurality of projections are located on the lower surface of the elongated cross member and at least one of the plurality of projections is located adjacent to the each opposing end of the cross member. Each one of the plurality of projections extends downwardly from the lower surface of the cross member and is shaped to pierce a top edge of a generally planar object and prevent rotation of the brace relative to the generally planar object.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

This invention pertains to a method and apparatus for stabilizing a generally planar object in a vertical upright position. More particularly, this invention pertains to a device for painters that stabilizes a plurality of doors in an upright position so that the generally planar objects can be coated, as with paint or varnish, for example, without leaning against a wall.

2. Description of the Related Art

When painters are faced with the task of painting doors or shutters, for example in a building or house, the conventional method involves painting one side of the door while it is propped against a vertical wall. After the first side of the door is dry, the door is manually lifted and rotated 180° and returned to its leaning position against the vertical wall so the second side of the door can be painted. Using this conventional method of leaning the door against a wall creates several problems. Painting the door so close to the wall causes paint to get on the wall, and it causes the door to warp while it is drying since it is not in an upright position. Further, because the painter has to wait for one side of the door to dry before painting the other side, it is very time consuming.

Prior efforts to overcome the problems raised by the conventional method of painting doors include nailing a board across the top of doors and apparatuses that rotate or revolve doors. Nailing wooden boards across the top edge of two or more consecutive doors while they are in an upright position is a method commonly used in the industry. This method, however, causes the doors to wobble and does not guarantee the stability required for painting the doors. There are several patents that disclose rotating or revolving apparatuses for painting doors, blinds, window shutters, and other planar devices. Typical of the art are those devices disclosed in the following U.S. patents: Patent No. Inventor(s) Issue Date 482,771 A.D. Webster Sep. 20, 1892 676,337 W.D.H. Nichols Jun. 11, 1901 684,097 J.A. Quigley et al. Oct. 8, 1901 855,219 J.S. Anthony, Jr. May 28, 1907 1,053,613 G.E. Klingaman Feb. 18, 1913 5,090,648 W.R. Wood, IV Feb. 25, 1992 5,164,011 D.D. Ray Nov. 17, 1992

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a device that is adaptable to doors, blinds, window shutters, and other generally planar panels. It is also an object to provide a device that easily stabilizes planar object in an upright position for painting. It is a further object to provide a method for painting planar objects in a vertical upright position. These and other advantages will become apparent to one skilled in the art when the following description is considered along with the drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a brace for stabilizing generally planar objects in an upright position is provided. The brace includes an elongated cross member and a plurality of projections. The elongated cross member has two opposing ends, an upper surface, and a lower surface. The plurality of projections are located on the lower surface of the cross member and at least one projection is located adjacent to each opposing end. Each projection extends downwardly from the lower surface of the cross member and is shaped to pierce a top edge of a generally planar object and prevent rotation of the brace relative to the generally planar object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned features of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention read together with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the brace showing it in operation.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a brace.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a brace.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawing, wherein like numbers represent like parts, there are disclosed embodiments of a method and apparatus for painting doors and other generally planar objects in an upright position. The apparatus is a brace 10 that stabilizes two or more doors so that a painter can paint them without having to lean the doors against a wall. Since the doors are not leaning against the wall, the brace 10 saves the painter's time because the painter can paint an entire door without having to wait for one side of the door to dry. A painter can also maximize time by painting the walls while the doors are drying.

When a door leans against a wall at an angle, the moisture from the paint on one side of the door causes the wood to warp. If the wood is warped badly, the door will not fit in the doorway properly, so the painter will have to start all over and paint another door. By using the brace 10, the door remains upright in a vertical position where all sides can be painted at once and therefore, does not warp.

FIG. 1 illustrates one method of using an embodiment of the brace 10. This method includes two braces 10 a&b that connect three doors 12 a-c together in an upright position for painting. The braces 10 a&b are positioned on the top edges of the doors and provide a bridge linking the doors 12 a-c together. The doors 12 a-c are staggered non-co-planar in their positions relative to each other for further stability while painting.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the brace 10 can be used for painting doors 12 a-c which includes any generally planar objects, such as windows, shutters, and blinds. In most embodiments, the generally planar objects are made of wood for easy mounting of the brace 10; however, in other embodiments, the generally planar objects are made of other materials such as composite wood-polymers or rigid polyurethane foam, i.e., materials that may be punctured with relative ease.

The brace 10 is secured into the top edges of the generally planar objects using means such as hammering or simply pushing the edges of the brace 10 into the generally planar objects by hand. In one embodiment where the generally planar object is made of a hard wood, the brace 10 will typically have to be hammered into the edge of the generally planar object. In another embodiment where the generally planar object is made out of a soft wood, such as pine, the brace 10 can generally be pressed into the edge of the generally planar object without the use of outside tools. The brace 10 does not have to be secured far into the top edge of the generally planar object for adequate stability.

The method for using the brace 10 requires at least two generally planar objects and at least one brace 10. In the illustrated method of using the brace 10, there are three doors 12 a-c and two braces 10 a&b. In another method of using the brace 10, there are five doors 12 and four braces 10.

In one method of using the brace 10, the brace 10 is used to connect generally planar objects that are the same height. In another method of using the brace 10, the brace 10 is used to connect generally planar objects that have slightly varying heights.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the brace 10. The brace 10 includes an elongated cross member 14 and a plurality of projections 16 a-d. The cross member 14 is rigid and has two opposing ends 18 and 20 and an upper and lower surface 22 and 24. The projections 16 a-d are also rigid, and there is at least one projection 16 located adjacent to each opposing end 18 and 20 of the cross member 14. The projections 16 a-d are located on the lower surface 24 of the cross member 14 and extend downwardly from the lower surface 24 in a triangular shape that is easily able to pierce the top edge of a generally planar object.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the brace 10. The brace 10 includes an elongated cross member 14 and one projection 26 a&b located adjacent to each opposing end 18 and 20 of the cross member 14. The projections 26 a&b are located on the lower surface 24 of the cross member 14 and extend downwardly from the lower surface 24 in a trapezoidal shape that is easily able to pierce the top edge of a generally planar object. At least one of the projections 26 a&b has a non-linear area of engagement to prevent rotation of the generally planar objects relative to the brace 10.

The cross member is elongated to extend from the top edge of a first generally planar object to the top edge of a second generally planar object positioned adjacent and non-co-planar to the first generally planar object. The projection(s) adjacent to one opposing end of the cross member pierce the top edge of the first generally planar object while the projection(s) adjacent to the other opposing end of the cross member pierce the top edge of the second generally planar object. The brace 10 acts as a stabilizing bridge between the two generally planar objects.

In the illustrated embodiments, the cross member 14 and projections 16 a-d and 26 a&b are integrally formed from a single piece of material. The projections 16 a-d and 26 a&b are bent non-co-planar, preferably perpendicular, to the cross member 14 for securing the brace 10 into the generally planar objects. In another embodiment, the brace 10 is formed or cut so that the projections extend from the cross member to form at least one point on each end of the cross member. In another embodiment, the projections are attached to the cross member The projections are attached using means such as welding and the projections include objects that extend to a point such as a nail or spike.

The doors become unstable and hard to paint if the cross member is able to rotate. In one embodiment, the cross member has at least two projections adjacent to each end to keep the cross member from rotating. In this embodiment, the projections are any shape including conical, trapezoidal, prismatic, and triangular. In another embodiment where the cross member has only one projection adjacent to each end, the projections are shapes such as triangular or trapezoidal that do not allow the cross member to easily rotate.

Then size of the brace 10 varies. In one embodiment, the length of the cross member depends on how much distance is required between each door, and the length of the projections depend on how far the projections need to extend-into the door to create stability. Generally, the projections on the brace 10 do not have to extend far into the door for maximum stability. In one embodiment, the projections are shaped so that only a portion of the length of the projections extends into the generally planar object. This embodiment makes it easier to take the brace 10 out of the generally planar object for reuse. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the cross member may be adjustable for different spacing between doors.

In one method of using the brace 10, two doors and one brace 10 are used. The brace 10 has a cross member that extends approximately five inches in length and one half inch in width. Each projection on the brace 10 is one half inch in length from the top of the cross member to the end point of the projection. The two doors are positioned adjacent and non-co-planar relative to each other. There is approximately two inches between the doors at their closest point where their corners almost meet. The brace 10 is positioned at the top edges of each door where their corners almost meet, and the projections are pressed into the top edge of each door until the doors are stabilized in their upright position. For a brace 10 this size, the projections are generally pressed into the top edge of the door between one-eighth and one-quarter inch. The door is then painted on both sides using means such as a paint brush or a spray paint gun. Once the doors are painted and dry, the brace 10 is removed from the doors, such as with a hammer or pry bar, for reuse.

From the foregoing description, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that a method and a brace for stabilizing a generally planar object for painting has been provided. The method of using the brace includes two or more generally planar objects and at least one brace that connects the generally planar objects. The brace has an elongated cross member and at least one projection on each opposing end of the lower surface of the cross member. Each end of the brace is secured into the top edges of the generally planar objects for stabilizing the generally planar objects while they are being painted.

While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept. 

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 8. A method for stabilizing a plurality of generally planar objects in upright positions comprising: positioning at least two generally planar objects, each object including a top edge, adjacent to each other in an upright position and non-co-planar relative to each other; positioning a brace upon the top edges of said at least two generally planar objects, said brace comprising: an elongated cross member having a first end, an opposed second end, an upper surface and a lower surface; and a plurality of projections, said plurality of projections being located on the said lower surface of said elongated cross member, at least one of said plurality of projections being located adjacent to said first end and at least one of said plurality of projections being located adjacent to said opposed second end, each one of said plurality of projections extending downwardly from said lower surface and shaped to pierce a top edge of a generally planar object and prevent rotation of said brace relative to said generally planar object; and securing said brace to said two generally planar objects by piercing at least one of said projections located adjacent to said first end of said cross member into said top edge of one of said at least two generally planar objects and piercing at least one of said projections located adjacent to said opposed second end of said cross member into said top edge of a second of said at least two generally planar objects.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said two generally planar objects are selected from a group comprising doors, windows, shutters, and blinds.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein said brace is secured by hammering into said two generally planar objects.
 11. The method of claim 8 wherein said brace is integrally formed from a single piece of material.
 12. The method of claim 8 wherein said plurality of projections are attached to said elongated cross member.
 13. The method of claim 8 wherein at least one of said projections is triangular.
 14. The method of claim 8 wherein at least one of said projections is trapezoidal. 